Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE:-Two matches of the Tower 21 Polo Super League will be played on Thursday here at the Lahore Polo Club ground.  In the first match of the day, The Eagles team will meet Platinum Homes Tigers at 3:00 pm while in the second match of the day, Zacky Reapers will compete against ZS Lions at 4:00 pm. Tower 21 Chief Executive Officer Hamza Raza Malik said: “The league is being sponsored by Tower 21, where exciting and challenging polo is on offer for lively Lahoris. Being corporate giants, it is our social responsibility to sponsor healthy sports activities and we are sponsoring this event in order to promote polo, which is the game of kings and knights,” he added. 

Sports Bulletin Report BIRMINGHAM:-Pakistan will meet South Africa in their opening fixture of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022, as International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced the schedule on Wednesday, as hosts England’s men’s and women’s teams will both face Ghana in their opening match and have group games against India, Canada and Wales Both the women’s and the men’s competitions will begin on Friday 29 July, with the opening session of the women’s tournament featuring reigning champions New Zealand against Kenya and South Africa playing Scotland. Hosts, England, will face Ghana in the first match of the men’s competition with New Zealand facing Scotland in the same session. There will be 54 hockey matches in total, with 40 group games, six classification matches, four semi-finals, four medal matches and all of these matches will be played at the University of a Birmingham, the official competition venue for hockey at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. The 20 hockey teams taking part in the Games will also use the University of Birmingham’s world-class hockey facilities for training until competition gets underway and then the teams will be able to make use of the newly upgraded pitch at Wyndley Leisure Centre in Sutton Coldfield for training. Matt Kidson, Director of Sport for Birmingham 2022, said: “We are excited to be unveiling the official hockey match schedule today as it brings us another step closer to the start of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. It’s going to be an exciting tournament with an impressive line-up of teams, featuring all of the medallists from the last edition of the Commonwealth Games. Pool A: Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, Scotland Pool B: India, England, Wales, Canada, Ghana, Schedule (Men’s Hockey): July 29, 2022: England vs Ghana, New Zealand vs Scotland July 30, 2022: South Africa vs Pakistan, Canada vs Wales July 31, 2022: New Zealand vs Pakistan, Australia vs Scotland, England vs Wales, India vs Ghana August 1, 2022: Scotland vs South Africa, England vs India, Canada vs Ghana, New Zealand vs Australia August 3, 2022: Canada vs India, Wales vs Ghana, Pakistan vs Scotland, South Africa vs Australia August 4, 2022: India vs Wales, Canada vs England, South Africa vs New Zealand, Australia vs Pakistan August 6, 2022: Semifinals August 7, 2022: Final

Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD:-The Mashal Modal School Bari Imam (MMSBI) have won the 6th AHC-PCB Girls’ Cricket Cup after beating Islamabad Modal School for Girls (IMSG)’ F-6/1 here at F-9 Cricket ground on Wednesday, as the tournament was played under the banner of Australian High Commission (AHC) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that aimed to train the girls to enhance their game skills. In the final, IMSG scored 44 runs in 5 overs, as the Mashal School achieved their target in 4.4 overs. The four teams from different schools including Mashal Model School Bari Imam, SOS Children’s Village H-11, Islamabad Model School for Girls F-6/1 and Islamabad Model School for Girls I-9/1 Islamabad are the part of tournament. The girls attended a five-day coaching clinic in the lead-up to the competition conducted by PCB first class cricket coaches. On this occasion, Australia’s Chargé d’ Affaires, Bryce Hutchesson congratulated the girls and the schools on their participation and welcomed the continued support of the PCB for the annual AHC-PCB Girls’ Cricket Cup. “The Australian High Commission has been sponsoring girls’ cricket in Pakistan since 2016 to promote gender equality through sport. We began with a single annual tournament in Islamabad but have since expanded to Lahore and Karachi,” Hutchesson added. “Our countries share a passion for cricket, so we’re very pleased to support this event. Cricket and other sports can help tear down barriers and stereotypes. Every time these girls make some runs, take a wicket or hold a catch, they are taking a step towards greater equality,” he said. Hutchesson further said that High Commission was particularly happy to support the initiative during the Australian Cricket Team’s historic tour to Pakistan. “It’s an exciting time for cricket fans in both Australia and Pakistan. Cricket is one of the many bonds that bring our countries together,” he said.  The Head of Women’s Cricket at PCB, Tania Mallick said: “On the auspicious occasion of the International Women's Day yesterday, with the Australian Cricket men's team playing in Pakistan after decades – it is a privilege to in collaborate with the Australian High Commission to organise this cricket event for underprivileged girls.” “The Australian High Commission with the support of PCB always played a vital role in promoting women cricket and investing in the empowerment of women in Pakistan. Such events can play an important role in the development and promotion of women cricket. We look forward to further strengthening our relationship,” she added.

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Lausanne, Switzerland: Following last week’s decision by the Executive Board (EB) of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) to exclude Russia from the upcoming FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup, the national team of Austria will now join this top-flight event scheduled from 1 to 12 April in Potchefstroom, South Africa. Austria will take the place of Russia in Pool C, therefore joining Argentina, Korea and Uruguay. It will be Austria’s first-ever participation in a FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup. Furthermore, FIH continues to be in contact with the Hockey Association of Ukraine and is still hopeful that the Ukrainian team will be able to participate in the event in South Africa.

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai (UAE):-The nominees for ICC Players of the Month of February for men’s and women’s international cricket have been announced today. February saw some strong men and women candidates staking their claim with some brilliant performances. The ICC Player of the Month nominations in the men’s category features UAE batter, Vriitya Aravind, India batter Shreyas Iyer and Nepal’s Dipendra Sing Airee. In the women’s category, New Zealand all-rounder Amelia Kerr, India veteran star Mithali Raj and all-rounder Deepti Sharma are nominated. ICC Men’s Player of the Month for February:  Vriitya Aravind – UAE Vriitya Aravind was the young star in UAE's campaign at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Qualifier A held in Oman last month. The youngest member of the squad, nineteen-year-old Aravind played a crucial role in UAE’s qualification to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 which will take place later this year. In the five matches he played, he smashed 267 runs at an average of 89.00 and a strike rate of 154.33. He set the tone with a 67-ball 97* in the opening game against Oman and carried his form through the tournament with scores of 40, 84*, 46 in the next three games. Though he didn't finish with a flourish, he did enough to win the Player of the Tournament. Shreyas Iyer - India Shreyas Iyer was in unstoppable form in the month of February and played a vital role in India's white-ball domination. He started the month with a Player of the Match-winning 80 against West Indies in the final ODI and a 16-ball 25 in the last T20I. With India opting to rest players and injury to Suryakumar Yadav, Iyer was promoted to No.3 in the T20I series against Sri Lanka. He scored three unbeaten fifties in three games and finished with 204 runs at a blistering strike rate of 174.35 and was awarded the Player of the Series for his exploits. Dipendra Singh Airee – Nepal Dipendra Singh Airee was a vital cog in Nepal's third-place finish in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Qualifier A in Oman. He was splendid both with the bat and the ball, finishing with 159 runs and six wickets in the tournament. Prior to the start of the tournament, he was brilliant in the quadrangular series against Oman, UAE, and Ireland where he accumulated 142 runs in three games and grabbed a four-for in the final game against Ireland. ICC Women’s Player of the Month for February: Amelia Kerr - New Zealand In the ODI series against India ahead of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, she finished as the highest-run getter overall and the joint-highest wicket-taker for her team alongside her sister Jess Kerr. In the five ODIs, she scored 353 runs at an average of 117.66 and strike rate of 97.51, which included three fifties and a hundred.  With the ball, she picked up 7 wickets at an economy of 5.78. She was also the Player of the Match in two of the five ODIs and took home the Player of the Series award as well. Mithali Raj – India Mithali Raj was one of the few shining lights for India in the ODI series against New Zealand. She was the highest run-scorer for India and the second-highest overall with 232 runs, including three fifties, averaging 77.33 with a strike rate of 82.56. In the final ODI, she played the role of the finisher to perfection, remaining unbeaten on 54 as India chased down 252 with four overs to spare. With the win, India ensured that they finished the series with a win in their kitty. Deepti Sharma – India Deepti Sharma was brilliant with both with the bat and ball in the series against New Zealand. She took the most wickets (10) in the ODI series and was handy with the bat as well, aggregating 116 runs in five matches. She grabbed a four-for in the second ODI and followed it up with a 69* in the next match.

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai:-Ravindra Jadeja’s performance at India's recent Test home win against Sri Lanka in Mohali has catapulted him to the no. 1 position in the MRF Tyres ICC Men's Test Player Rankings. His unbeaten 175 lifted him up to 17 places from 54th to 37th with the bat and he added nine wickets to move up to 17th with the ball. His all-round contribution was enough for him to regain the top all-rounder spot from Jason Holder, who had held it since February 2021. Jadeja’s only previous time on top was in August 2017, when he spent a week at number one. The Rawalpindi Test between host Pakistan and Australia was a batting feast, and Imam-ul-Haq celebrated by striking a century in each innings to move to a career best 63rd with 477 points. Hi teammate Azhar Ali struck 185 and moved up ten places to 12 whilst Abdullah Shafique added a second-innings century to gain 27 places to 67. Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne missed out on a century, being dismissed for 90, but that was enough to gain a point up to 936 and 12th position on his own in the list of highest-ever batting ratings. Usman Khawaja also fell in the 90s but continued his renaissance, moving up six places to 24 with the bat, his highest position for three years. In bowlers, Nauman Ali of Pakistan impressed with figures of 6-107 in Australia’s first innings and saw him gain 19 places to 51. In T20I cricket, whilst the top 12 batters are unchanged, at joint thirteenth position is Afghanistan’s Hazratullah Zazai, who’s unbeaten 59 in the second match against Bangladesh at Mirpur ensured a shared series win. For the hosts, Liton Das starred in the first match with 60, which helped him to gain 26 places to 49th over the course of the series. With the ball, Nasum Ahmed has made his first appearance in the top 10 bowlers, thanks to his ‘Player of the Match’ performance of 4-10 in the first match.

Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD:-The 1st National Blind Cricket Championship for Women started at Shalimar Cricket Ground Islamabad Tuesday (March 8, 2022 on the World Women’s Day) sponsored by Australian High Commission in Pakistan. Four teams including hosts Islamabad, Sindh, Punjab, and Khyber PakhtunKawa (KPK) are taking part in this event. Nick Hockley, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Cricket Australia (CA), Joanne Frederiksen Australia’s Deputy High Commissioner to Pakistan, Syed Sultan Shah President World Blind Cricket as well as Chairman PBCC and Todd Greenberg, CEO of Australian Cricketers’ Association attended the event. Joanne Frederiksen, Australia’s Deputy High Commissioner to Pakistan said: “I appreciate the efforts of the Pakistan Blind Cricket Council (PBCC) in taking this initiative, and on this Women’s Day, I am pleased to support a visually impaired women's cricket training and championship as this will provide the women & girls with a disability the opportunity to participate in Pakistan’s favorite sport. We will continue to fund Blind Women Cricket in Pakistan in the future as well”. The Chairman, PBCC Syed Sultan Shah said that the two blind factory workers invented blind cricket in Melbourne, Australia, in 1922 and it was a highly competitive game which enables people with visual impairment to become people of vision. Forty-four (44) women & girls with visual impairment are participating in this event, shortlisted across Pakistan from Karachi to Gilgit-Baltistan. He thanked the Australian Government for the much-needed support for this cause. He requested Nick Hockley to follow the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) model of supporting Men Blind Cricket there in Australia. “Pakistan’s men blind cricket is the powerhouse in Blind Cricket and it couldn’t be achieved without the financial assistance of PCB, he added. Nick Hockley, CEO of Cricket Australia expressed his pleasure in watching these visually impaired girls playing cricket that were the source of inspiration for all. “Australia and Pakistan share a passion for cricket, and on this day Australian men's team is playing Test series while Australian and Pakistan Women are competing in World Cup game. Now Cricket Australia will play an important part to uplift the Blind Cricket in Australia, “he said. Nick Hockley officially inaugurated the event by hitting the audible blind cricket ball. Nick Hockley and Joanne Frederiksen played cricket with the visually impaired girls for quite some time.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-The West Indies pulled off another upset as they beat England by seven runs to secure their first-ever ICC Women’s World Cup victory over the defending champions England in the 2022 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup at University Oval on Wednesday. Shemaine Campbelle and Chedean Nation put on 123 for the fifth wicket to set England 226 to win, six more runs than Heather Knight’s side had ever chased down to win a World Cup game. The 2017 winners stuttered frequently in reply before a 61-run partnership for the ninth wicket between Ecclestone and Kate Cross seemed to be taking them to victory, however two wickets in four balls in Anisa Mohammed’s 48th over snatched it for the West Indies and left England winless from their first two games. Captain Stafanie Taylor was then sent back for a golden duck and in five balls the West Indies had slipped to 81 for three and two new batters were at the crease. Campbelle broke the boundary drought, striking the first four for 10.2 overs but Knight was then caught by Wyatt who rocked back as she held on to a powerful shot to leave the West Indies 98 for four after 26.1 overs. Campbelle and Nation went about rebuilding, and benefitted from a bucketful of extras, Brunt conceding five wides for the second game in a row. More dropped catches and a missed run out hampered England, Ecclestone’s figures of four maidens, three for 20 overs a lone bright spot from a disappointing display in the field. The 100 partnership between Nation and Campbelle came up off 139 balls Nation contributing 38, Campbelle 53 and extras the rest. Nat Sciver got the breakthrough with a low full toss as Campbelle chopped on for 66 from 88 before Chinelle Henry fell for a two-ball duck as the Windies clawed their way to a hard-fought 225 for six.  After bagging a duck in the opening defeat to Australia, Winfield-Hill's batting woes continued but this time she could consider herself very unlucky as Dottin took an early contender for catch of the tournament, an outstretched right hand in a full superwoman pose dismissing the opener for 12. Sciver, a centurion last time out, went for just two sending a slog sweep to mid-on before Amy Jones’ desire to get the run chase going backfired, Matthews taking a good low catch to reduce England to 72 for four. Beaumont survived an lbw review on 44 but her reprieve did not last long as she was trapped in front by Mohammed for 46 to deepen England’s troubles. Scores in brief West Indies beat England at University Oval, Dunedin by seven wickets West Indies 225/6 in 50.0 overs (Shemaine Campbelle 66, Chedean Nation 49 not out; Sophie Ecclestone 3/20, Nat Sciver 1/49) England 218 all out in 47.4 overs (Tammy Beaumont 46, Sophia Dunkley 38; Shamilia Connell 3/38, Anisa Mohammed 2/24) Player of the Match: Shemaine Campbelle (West Indies)

Sports Bulletin Report KARACHI:-Pakistan squash legend former World number one Jahangir Khan has said that the efforts made by private sector for revival of squash in Pakistan were laudable as collective efforts could help the country to regain the lost glories in squash at international level. He expressed these views during a visit to PSF Jahangir Khan Squash Complex at National coaching Centre along with Combaxx Sports CEO Omar Saeed, and Sindh Squash Association President Adnan Asad. Director General PSF Squash Complex Commander (Retd) Mustafa Kamal, Karachi Sports Foundation Chairman Asif Azim, Combaxx Sports GM Zubair Macha and Administrator Squash Complex Mohammad Aamir also accompanied them. Jahangir Khan said: “We can once again produce world level players by providing up-to-date training in state-of-the-art squash courts to young guys at grass-root level so they can be at par with international players. The construction work is being done in collaboration with American Business Council, and there are four squash courts in the complex, two of which are being laced with back-wall glass shields:, he said, further adding: Qualified coaches provide free training to players at this Complex which is purely aimed at promoting squash talent at grass-root level. The talented squash players who are be selected for training purely on merit basis will also to be given free education, food & nutrition and traveling expenses inside the country to enable them to pay equal attention to education and also pay full concentration on sports”. Combaxx Sports CEO Omar Saeed said: Pakistan was dominating in squash like no other country in the world, the domination lasting for the best part of as many as six decades. And for regaining lost glory in squash, Combaxx sports is making all out efforts to extend its full support to PSF and the provincial associations to produce unbeatable players in squash once again, who will international laurels for the country. He said that Combaxx Sports will provide free track suits and kits to players and trainers at this Squash Academy. Sindh Squash Association President Adnan Asad said: Cameras are also installed in the squash courts here so that in-camera training  will enable the coach to secure images of the players during training to be showed to them later on to pin-point their weakness and drawbacks and to teach them how to rectify the same. ”A gymnasium and one more squash court is also a part of future strategy,” he added. He further added that they would make it a model academy in the country for the production of new talented squash players.

BIPIN DANI Former Sri Lankan cricketer Naveed Nawaz is Cricket Advisory Committee's (CAC) first choice as national coach, it is learnt. According to the highly placed sources in SLC (Sri Lanka Cricket), the CAC has sent a list of several candidates for various coaching assignments. "We submitted the list about a month ago and Naveed Nawaz is our first choice to be the coach of the national men's team", one of the CAC members, speaking exclusively over telephone from Colombo said. "We interviewed 23 candidates and the total12-hour long interview process also included foreigners". It is assumed that the 48-year-old former left-handed batsman's name was sent after at least two foreigners (Paul Farbrace and Graham Ford) backed out. "It was a decision of majority members and his final name was then suggested unanimously". It is not known why the SLC has not yet appointed any full-time coach. "The CAC didn't discuss the remuneration part. That is for the SLC to negotiate with the individuals", the CAC member added. In the meantime, no decision is yet taken on Lahiru Kumara's return. "The injured pacer is out of cricket for more than a month. There is no point in keeping him with the team", the SLC source added. "He is still in Mohali and the decision about him will be taken soon when boys travel to Bangalore on Wednesday afternoon".